Paper-stacking device



Jan. 6, 1959 u HQR] 2,867,438

PAPER-STACKING DEVICE Filed Oct; 19, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet l 5006 C5 0Pall/5Q YINVENTOR.

Fla. 2 5

Jan. 6, 1959 su HQRI 2,867,438

PAPER-STACKING DEVICE Filed Oct. 19, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. Z0.

2'4 750 A oe INVEN'R Pk.

WQZ/VEYS United States Patent PAPER-STACKJNG DEVICE Tatsu Hori, SanFrancisco, Calif., assignor, by mesne assignments, to General ElectricCompany, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October19, 1956, Serial No. 617,100

13 Claims. (Cl. 271-74) paper have a certain weight or be of a uniformsize and also be substantially unwrinkled. In addition, these stackingdevices usually depend for operation on a completely timed orsynchronous system.

An object of the present invention is to provide apparatus for stackingsheets at rates exceeding those performed heretofore.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of asheet-stacking apparatus wherein a synchronized feed is not required.

A further object of the present invention is the provision ofasynchronous-operating sheet-stacking apparatus.

Yet another object of the present invention is the provision ofpaper-stacking device wherein the sheets need not be of the same size orsame weight.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of asheet-stacking device which is capable of handling sheets which arewrinkled or torn.

These and other'objects of the invention are accomplished by theprovision of apparatus comprising a hollow cylinder. A plurality ofpassages exist in the wall of the cylinder. A plurality of openingsexist in the periphery of the cylinder, each of which communicates witha different one of said passages. Means are provided for selectivelycontrolling the application of vacuum through the passages to the holesin the periphery of the cylinder. These means include valve meanscomprising a valve pin extending through the walls of the passage andbeing movably supported therein. Each valve pin is formed so that whenit is in a first position it operates to block completely a passage andprevent the application of vacuum to the holes, and when it is in asecond position it does not block the passage, thus permittingapplication of vacuum to the holes. A first means comprising asolenoid-actuated means is positioned at a location relative to the pinswhere it is desired to pick up each sheet of paper by the suction fromthe holes in the periphery of the cylinder. Upon a sheet of paper cominginto a position to be operatively associated with the periphery of thedrum, the solenoid is actuated and moves the valve pin adjacent theretoto its second position, permitting the application of vacuum through thepassage controlled by the valve to the holes on the periphery of thedrum. These holes are the ones which are in operative position with thepaper which it is sought to be picked up. The vacuum is thus applied tothe paper sheet, causing it to adhere to the periphery of the cylinder.

The cylinder continues to rotate to a second position, at which positionit is desired to release the sheet. At this second position there isstationed a camming means having a cam surface which pushes against thevalve pin until it is moved to its first position, blocking thepassageway communicating with the holes previously mentioned. At thissecond position, the sheet of paper is released, and the cylindercontinues to spin, picking up and releasing sheets of paper as desired.Since the suction at the periphery of the drum is applied only when thesolenoid means is excited, the operation of the system is asynchronous.

The novel features that are considered characteristic of this inventionare set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The inventionitself, both as to its organization and method of operation, as well asadditional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood fromthe following description when read in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure l is a view in elevation of one embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a plan View of this embodiment of the invention;

Figure 3 is a view in section along the lines 3 3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a section along the lines 44 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a view in section of a second embodiment of the invention;

Figure 6 is a view in section along the lines 6-6 of Figure 5, showingthe operation of the cam surface;

Figure 7 is a View along the lines 7--7 of Figure 6, showing the valves;

Figure 8 is a side view of another embodiment of the invention;

Figure 9 is a view in section along the lines 99 of Figure 8, showingvalve pin details; and

Figure 10 is a view in section along the lines 1010 of Figure 8, showingvalve and cam details.

It should be noted at the outset that although embodiments of theinvention are shown and described in a horizontal position, they willoperate equally well, either in a vertical or horizontal position.Figure l of the drawings shows the embodiment of the invention with theaxis of rotation vertical. The embodiment of the invention shown has theappearance of a drum, or hollow cylinder, 10 which, as shown in Figure3, is attached to a hollow hub or shaft 12. This shaft is rotatablysupported by bearings 13, which are seated in a housing 15. The outerperiphery of the drum has a plurality of sets of holes 14 (showninFigure 2), each set being axially aligned and adjacent to another set.For each set of openings, there is provided a passage 16 (shown inFigure 3), which extends underneath the openings and communicatestherewith. These passages extend axially in the cylinder walls and eachone at one end is joined to what might-be termed a vacuum-supply passage18. The vacuum-supply passage 18 is in a wall member 20.

The vacuum-supply passages all terminate in an annular passage 22 (shownin dotted lines in Figure 1) One side of the radial passage is closed bya plate 23. The radial passage communicates with the hollow hub 12 ofthe cylinder 10 by means of four radial passages 24. These arerepresented by dotted lines in Figure l. The hollow hub communicateswith a pipe 30, which is connected to a vacuum pump, not shown.

In each vacuum-supply passage 18 there is a slidingtype valve,designated as a pin valve 32. This pin valve has a first section 32A,which is large enough so that when the pin valve is moved with thissection in the vacuum-supply passage, the vacuum supply to theperipheral openings 14 is cut off. The pin valve has aseeond section32B, which is smaller than the first section and which, when it is inthe passage, offers very little, if any,

obstruction to the .suction of the vacuum through the openings 14. Asolenoid 34 is mounted at the position wherein it is desired to pick upsheets of paper. The solenoid has a movable armature 36, which isattached to an L-shaped member 38. The L-shaped member is pivoted at thejunctionof its arms to be rotatable. One end of the arm 38 is attachedto the armature of the solenoid; .the other arm extends in proximity tothe pin valves 32, which are being moved past the arm by the rotation ofthe drum. Thus, a means for selectively applying suction to the holes inthe periphery of the cylinder is shown, since all that is required inorder for suction to be applied to the holes controlled by the pinvalves underneath the arm 38 is to excite the solenoid 34. At this time,the arm is caused to rotate and depress a pin valve or move it, so thatits second section is in .the vacuum-supply passage. This may better beseen in Figure 4, wherein two pin valves are shown in position with thesecond section Within the vacuum-supply passage 18. A spring 46. isattached to the arm 38 which is attached to the movable armature 36 torestore it to its unoperated position after the exciting current hasbeen removed from the solenoid.

As may be seen in Figure 4, at a position at which it is desired to cutoif or terminate the application of vacuum to the peripheral openings ofthe cylinder, a

camming plate '42 is positioned. This camming plate has a cam surface44, which is adjacent the end of the valve pins extending from the otherside of the wall member. This camming surface serves the function ofrestoring the valve pin back to its original position with its firstsection in the vacuum-supply passage, whereby suction is cut olf. I

As may be seen in Figure 3, the shaft 12 is rotatably supported by meansof the two bearings 13, which are seated in the housing 15. The wallmember 20 is an integral portion of the cylindrical surface of the drum,and it is fastened to the shaft 12. Thereby, when the shaft is rotated,the entire cylinder is rotated. The means for rotating the shaft isprovided by a gear 40, which is mounted at one end of the shaft 12 andto which the rotating driving force is applied. The cam plate 42,

besides performing the function of returning the valve pins to aposition whereby the suction is cut off to the peripheral holes, alsoserves to limit the travel of the valve pins when they are first movedby the solenoid apparatus. (The low portion of the cam 45 serves as thelimiting surface.)

Referring back to Figure 1, the view shown is that whereby the drum isemployed for stacking sheets of paper. These sheets of paper 42 aremoved by a suitable means, not shown, past a switch 44. This switch maybe of the microswitch type, whereby when the paper touches the sensingarm 46 a circuit is closed. (Any other switch may be used, e. g.,photocell or light interrupting switch.) The closing of this circuitenergizes the solenoid 34. The energized solenoid thus is actuated tomove one or more valve pins to enable the application of suction to theperipheral holes just at the position where the leading edge of thesheet 42 passes over the cylindrical surface. The sheet is then held tothe surface and moves therewith to the opposite, or release, portion ofthe path of travel to the cylinder.

It will be noted that on the cylindrical surface radial grooves are cutand separating fingers 48 are laid in these grooves. Thus, when theleading edge of the sheet approaches the separating fingers, the cammingplate 42 operates to cut the suction off from the drum. At this point itshould be noted that the solenoid may actuate more than one valve pin.Thus, when the loading, or foremost, valve pin which was moved by thesolenoid is restored to cut off the suction from the leading holesholding the sheet, the edge of the sheet can be separated fromthe drumby the fingers. The sheet is still being urged forward into the stack ofsheets 50, however, by

the suction which is being applied by the sets of holes which still passthe Vacuum due to the successive pins (following the first pin) whichwere actuated by the lever. These, in turn, will be closed successivelyupon passing over the cam plate. This action maintains the velocity ofthe sheet given to it by the rotation of the cylinder and is sufficientto carry the sheet into the stack. The tail end of the sheet flaresoutward from the drum by reason of the centrifugal force. This isdesirable, too, since this assists in throwing the trailing half of eachsuccessive sheet away from the drum, enabling the leading edge of thenext sheet to be inserted properly into the stack without interferencefrom the preceding sheet.

Figure 5 shows in section a second embodiment of the invention. In thisembodiment, the identical drum struc ture is employed and therefore itssimilar functioning parts will be given similar reference numerals tothose in Figure 3. In this embodiment of the invention a different valvepin 69 and cam 70 are employed. The valve pin 60 has a body portion 62,which extends into and fills the portion of the passage 16 whichcommunicates with the vacuum supply passage 18. The body portion 62 hasa right angle passage 64 therethrough which is dimensioned so that whenthe valve pin is depressed or pushed further into the drum theright-angle passage permits communication between the passages 16 and18. The valve pins 60 may be selectively depressed by the solenoid 34 inthe same manner as was described previously for the valve pins 32. Thevalve pin on the left side of Figure 5 has been depressed to permit thevacuum to be applied to the holes in the periphery which open into thepassage 16 controlled by the valve pin. The valve pin on the right sideof Figure 6 is in its first, or passage blocking, position. In thisposition the opening of the right-angle passage no longer communicateswith vacuum passage 18, and therefore the vacuum is blocked off.

Each valve pin has a cap 66 at one end. The cam 70, which is positionedat the location where it is desired to release a sheet which is beingcarried by the drum, can partially withdraw the valve pin by pushing upunder the cap 66, thereby blocking the passage 18 with the pin body. Thesuccessive positions assumed by the valve pins as they are raised by thecam 70 are shown in Figure 6, which is a sectional View of the apparatusshown in Figure 5 taken along the lines 66. Figure 7, which is asectional view taken along the lines 7-7 of Figure 6, shows that the cam70 is split so that it comes up under the cap on either side of thevalve pin body.

It should therefore be apparent that the operation of this embodiment ofthe invention is similar to the one first described. The solenoid 34 isactuated when it is desired to pick up a sheet. It depresses the valvepin to the second position, whereby vacuum is applied and the sheet isadhered to the drum. At the release position the cam is restored to itsfirst position, whereby the vacuum is cut ofl and the sheet is released.

Figures 8, 9, and 10 show still another embodiment of the invention. Thestructure of the drum is identical with the one shown in the previousembodiments of the invention. The valve pin and camming arrangements arestructurally diiferent but follow the same operative principlesdescribed above. The valve pins in this embodiment of the invention havetriangular shaped caps 82. As may be seen in Figures 9 and 10, the body84 of the valve pin is inserted in the drum so that it intersects thevacuum supply passage 18. A passage 86 extends through the body 84 sothat when the valve pin is in the position shown in Figure 10 thenthevacuum supply passage 18 is blocked. When the valve pin is turned to theposition shown in Figure 9, the passage 86 in the body is aligned withthe vacuum supply passage 18, and vacuum can be applied to the passage16.

Thus the selective application of vacuum for picking up sheets iscontrolled by the turning of the valve pin. This is performed by thesolenoid 34, which this time,

when excited, actuates a lever arm 88 to assume the position shown inphantom in Figure 8. As a result of the rotation of the drum, the valvepin is turned by the lever arm being held against one side of the cap82. A cam 90, which is stationed at the release position, serves thefunction of turning the valve pins to the position shown in Figure 10,wherein the opening 86 is no longer aligned with the passage 18, and thepassage 18 isblocked.

Thus it may be seen that in all the embodiments of the invention thevalve pins may be selectively moved to a second position from a firstposition by a solenoid-21cm ated device to open a passage to permit avacuum to be applied to holes in the periphery of the cylinder, and acam is provided at the position desired for release, which serves thefunction of restoring the valve pin back to the first position, wherebythe vacuum supply passage is blocked.

From the above description, it can be seen that the stacking operationis asynchronous, since it is the paper sheet itself that triggers thestacking drum. The feed is extremely rapid, over 1400 sheets per minutebeing picked up and stacked by an embodiment of the invention which wasbuilt. In view of the fact that the turning oli of the suction is not aninstantaneous arrangement, but occurs progressively by virtue of thecamming plate progressively or successively moving the valve pins, theinsertion of a sheet into a stack is very effectively accomplished.Wrinkles, variations in size, and thicknesses of paper do not afiect theoperation of the apparatus shown.

In addition to being employed for stacking sheets of paper, thisapparatus may also be employed for picking up sheets of paper singly inresponse to a demand energization of the solenoid means. Such demandenergization may be controlled by a manual switch, photoelectric device,or any other suitable mechanism.

Accordingly, there has been shown and described herein novel, useful,and simple apparatus for picking up a sheet selectively, carrying it toa desired location, and then releasing it.

I claim:

1. A paper pickup device comprising a rotatably supported cylindricalsurface, a plurality of sets of openings in said surface, a plurality ofpassages in said cylindrical surface, each set of openings communicatingwith a different one of said passages, means for applying suction to allsaid passages, and valve means in each passage to control theapplication of suction to the set of holes communicating therewith, saidvalve means including a valve pin movably mounted in the walls defininga passage and extending across said passage, said valve pin beingmovable between a first and a second position, in said first positionsaid valve pin being adapted to block said passage and in said secondposition being adapted not to block said passage, means to move a valvepinto its second position when it is desired to apply suction to the setof holes communicating with said passage to pick up paper, and means tomove said valve pin to its first position when it is desired not toapply suction to said set of holes.

2. A paper pickup device comprising a rotatably supported cylindricalsurface, a plurality of sets of openings in said surface, a plurality ofpassages in said cylindrical surface, each set of openings communicatingwith a different one of said passages, means for applying suction to allsaid passages, and'a valve means in each passage to control theapplication of suction to the set of holes communicating therewith, saidvalve means including a valve pin movably mounted in the walls defininga passage and extending across said passage, means to establish saidvalve pins in a first or a second position including solenoid meanspositioned adjacent a desired paper pickup location to selectively movesaid valve pins to a second position from said first position, and cammeans positioned at a desired paper-release location to restore any pinsin said second position to said first position, each said valve pinshaving a section afiording passage therethrough, said sectioncommunicating with the passage wherein said valve pin is inserted onlywhen said valve pin is in said second position.

3. A paper sheet pickup device as recited in claim 2 wherein the sectionafiording passage through a valve pin is a portion of the length of thevalve pin which is thinner than the remainder, in said second position avalve pin has its thinner portion in the passage in which it isinserted, said cam means moving said valve pin axially to remove saidthinner portion from said passage.

4. A paper sheet pickup device as recited in claim 2 wherein the sectionaffording a passage through a valve pin is an opening therethrough, saidsolenoid means rotating a valve pin to align said opening with thepassage in which said valve pin is inserted, said cam means rotat ingsaid valve means until the opening therethrough is no longer alignedwith said passage.

5. A paper sheet pickup device as recited in claim 2 wherein for eachsaid valve pin the section affording passage through a valve pinincludes walls defining a right angle passage through said valve pin,said valve pin being inserted at the juncture of two passages, when saidvalve ,pin is in said first position said right-angle passage is notcommunicating between the two passages and is communicating between thetwo passages when in said second position. i

6. A paper sheet pickup device comprising a rotatably supportedcylindrical surface, a plurality of adjacent passages within saidsurface, a plurality of sets of radially extending openings, each set ofopenings communicating with a different one of said passages, a wallmember extending from said cylindrical surface radially inward and beingrotatable with said surface, said wall member including a separatevacuum supply passage connected to each of said adjacent passages, avalve means for each of said vacuum supply passages, each said valvemeans including a valve pin extending through a vacuum supply passageand from either side of said wall member, each valve pin having a firstsection of sufiicient size to block said supply passage and a secondsection of a size insufii- .cient to block said supply passage, means tosupply vacuum to all said supply passages, solenoid means to selectivelymove a valve pin to a position with its second section in said passage,and cam means positioned to move a valve pin to a position with itsfirst sections in said supply passage.

7. A paper sheet pickup device as recited in claim 6 wherein saidsolenoid means is positioned adjacent one side of said wall member at alocation wherein it is desired to pick up paper sheets and said cammeans is positioned on the other side of said wall member at a locationwhere it is desired to release said paper sheets.

8. A paper sheet pickup device as recited in claim 7 wherein saidsolenoid has a movable armature, an L- shaped member pivotally mountedat the juncture of the arms of said L, said mounting being positioned topermit one arm of said L-shaped member to move said valve pin when theother arm is actuated, means coupling said solenoid armature to saidother arm, and spring means coupled to said armature to bias it to anonoperated position.

9. A paper sheet pickup device as recited in claim 8 wherein said cammeans includes a plate adjacent said wall member having a cam surfacepositioned to move all valve pins which have been moved by said solenoidmeans to extend on the side of said plate.

10. A paper sheet pickup device comprising a rotatably supportedcylindrical surface, a plurality of adjacent passages within saidsurface, a plurality of sets of radially extending openings, each set ofopenings communicating with a different one of said passages, a wallmember extending from said cylindrical surface radially inward and beingrotatable with said surface, said wall member including a separatevacuum supply passage connected to each of said adjacent passages, avalve means for-eachof said vacuum supply passages, each said valvemeans including a valve pin extending through a vacuum supply passageand from either side of said wall member, each said valve pin havingWalls defining an opening therethrough, means to supply vacuum to allsaid vacuum supply passages, solenoid means to selectively turn a valvepin to a position wherein said valve pin opening atfords unobstructedcommunication through the vacuum supply passage in which said valve pinis inserted, and cam means positioned to turn a valve pin to a positionwherein its opening does not afford communication through the vacuumsupply passage.

11. A paper sheet pickup device as'recited in claim 10 wherein saidsolenoid means is positioned adjacent one side of said wall member at alocation wherein it is desired to pick up paper sheets and said cammeans is positioned on the other side of said Wall member at a locationwhere it is desired to release said paper sheets.

12. A paper sheet pickup'device comprising a rotatably supportedcylindrical surface, a plurality of adjacent passages within saidsurface, a plurality of sets of radially extending openings, each set ofopenings communicating with a different one of said passages, a Wallmember extending from said cylindrical surface radially inward and beingrotatable with said surface, said wall member including a separatevacuum supply passage connected to eachof saidadjacent passages, avalvemeans .for each ofsaid vacuum supply'passages'each said valve meansincludinga valve pin having a body portion'movably inserted-into-eachpassage at-itsjuncture-with the vacuumsupplypassage connected thereto,each said valve pin body portion having walls defining an openingadapter toconnect said vacuum supply passage with the passage into whichsaid valve pin extends, each said valve'pin having a cap at the end ofthe'body portion extending from said wall member, cam means to pushon avalve pin cap to move said valve pin until its opening no longerconnects said vacuum supply passage and the associated passage-andsolenoid means to selectively depresssaid valve pins until its openingconnects said vacuum supply 'passageand the associated passage.

l3. A paper sheet pickup device as recited in claim 10 wherein saidsolenoid means is positioned adjacent one side of said wall member at-alocation wherein it is desired to pick up paper sheets and said cammeans is positioned on the other side of said wall memberat a locationwhere it is desired to release said paper sheets.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

